Washington – Said Arikat – 2/21/2026
The American ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, sparked a wide wave of controversy after statements he made during an extended interview with conservative media personality Tucker Carlson, in which he spoke about Israel's "right" to the lands extending between the Nile and Euphrates rivers, a geographical reference that includes five Arab countries in addition to the occupied Palestinian territories.
During the interview, Carlson referred to a text from "Genesis 15" in the Bible, asking whether this geographical extent represents, according to religious interpretation, the boundaries of the "divine promise." He pressed Huckabee to clearly define his position, saying that a literal reading of the text means "the entire Middle East." Huckabee replied after a short hesitation: "It's okay if they take it all," before adding that this "is not what we are talking about today."
The statements were placed in the context of a broader debate about what is known as the concept of "Greater Israel," which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a number of officials are accused of adopting views close to, despite their denial of seeking to annex lands outside the current control boundaries.
Carlson returned to confirm that what he heard reflects the essence of "Christian Zionism" in its theological dimension, noting that accepting the idea of seizing the lands of countries such as Syria, Lebanon, or Jordan would be politically unacceptable. However, Huckabee denied that Israel was seeking to annex these countries, stressing that it "wants to protect its people now," adding that any potential control over additional lands would only be in the context of a defensive war.
It is worth noting that Israel occupies all of Palestine and parts of Syria and Lebanon, and launches aggressive strikes across the region.
The debate between the two men did not begin with this interview. Earlier, Carlson criticized Huckabee's positions on the treatment of Christians in the occupied territories, and also criticized his statements to Bloomberg News in which he said that the establishment of a Palestinian state in the West Bank was no longer a goal of American policy, considering that "fundamental changes in culture" are a condition for any political path of this kind.
Both parties exchanged arguments via the "X" platform, where Huckabee invited Carlson to meet him instead of "talking about him," to which the latter responded by welcoming and arranging the meeting. Indeed, Carlson traveled to Israel for the interview.
However, the visit witnessed an additional development, as Carlson told the "Daily Mail" that Israeli security officials detained him and members of his team at the airport after the interview, confiscated their passports for a short period, and interrogated one of the producers about the content of their conversation with the ambassador. Carlson described the incident as "strange," confirming that they later left the country.
In his 165-minute program, Carlson criticized Huckabee for not contacting him after the incident, and went so far as to say that an American citizen in Israel "cannot trust that his government will stand by him if it conflicts with the interests of the Israeli government," a statement that reflects the escalating tension between the two men, and opens a new door for discussion about the limits of American support for Israel and its intersections with internal and external considerations.
In a related context, Huckabee did not issue any statement of condemnation or public comment after the killing of the American-born and national Nasrallah Abu Siam, who was killed by Jewish settlers in the town of Mukhamas northeast of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, despite three days passing since the incident, which raised questions and criticisms about the American embassy's position on issues affecting American-Palestinian citizens in the occupied territories.
Huckabee's statements, in which he describes himself as a Christian Zionist, reveal the deep overlap between theology and politics in some circles of the American right that supports Israel. The invocation of religious texts to define contemporary geographical boundaries reflects an ideological vision that transcends international law and modern concepts of sovereignty. Despite his attempt at partial retraction, the theoretical acceptance of the idea of "complete seizure" raises real fears in the region, and fuels narratives of existential conflict. It also puts the American administration to a precise test: will support for Israel remain within pragmatic political frameworks, or will it slide into adopting religious interpretations with broad geopolitical implications?
The debate between Carlson and Huckabee reflects a division within the American conservative movement itself regarding the limits of the relationship with Israel. While Huckabee represents a rigid ideological current in his support, Carlson shows an isolationist tendency critical of prioritizing Israeli interests over American national considerations. The detention incident at the airport, regardless of its details, provided additional material for this debate, and re-raised the question of political loyalties and the limits of the alliance. Ultimately, the disagreement goes beyond two individuals to a deeper discussion about the identity of American foreign policy and its future directions.
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Huckabee: Israel has the right to establish its state from the Euphrates to the Nile